Welcome Ko Kieft!

[MJW]

Big...Big blocking tight end. 6'5 265. Caught 7 passes last year. I love it.

[King Bootz]

We had to trade up to get a blocking TE with 12 career catches? Great.

Oh BTW, he's older than Devin White.

[MJW]

We had to trade up to get a blocking TE with 12 career catches? Great.

Oh BTW, he's older than Devin White.

Yeah, I don't get the trade up. But whatever.

[King Bootz]

Love this write up. 4.95 40 @ 259 pounds. "I'm surprised he was drafted". We traded up in the 6th for him. Love it!

[Miller4Prez64]

The trade up seems silly but there is no real need for three 7th rounders either. I would have preferred OL/DL depth but we are at a point in the draft where guys we are considering are marginally better than UDFAs at best.

[MJW]

The trade up seems silly but there is no real need for three 7th rounders either. I would have preferred OL/DL depth but we are at a point in the draft where guys we are considering are marginally better than UDFAs at best.

It's safe to assume OBP has a specific role in mind and thinks he's an excellent fit for it. And that they did not see both of those conditions being met with those 7th round picks.

[Cheb]

Goofy looking ginger? Check
Angry run blocker? Check
Minnesota Gopher? Check.

Licht couldn't help himself.

In all seriousness, if he can offer plus snaps as a run blocker, I'm all for it.

Here's some highlights of the Gophers running for 300+ yards against Maryland. Look for #42; that's our guy.

[Naismith]

Anytime you can add an old, unathletic, undersized guard, you have to do it and you definitely have to trade up to do it.

[Nano]

This is not a real person

[Doctor]

Is that supposed to be good tape?

[Cheb]

Is that supposed to be good tape?

I wouldn't say it was perfect, but he was making a ton of key blocks to spring big runs.

Look on the bright side.

[Defense5599]

We had to trade up to get a blocking TE with 12 career catches? Great.

Oh BTW, he's older than Devin White.

Yeah, I don't get the trade up. But whatever.

Licht the Lush is tanking his job.

[Miller4Prez64]

[_MB_]

That suggests they'll make some kind of fullback gadget out of him.

[Tnbandwagoner]

Anytime you can add an old, unathletic, undersized guard, you have to do it and you definitely have to trade up to do it.

I detect slight irony in this post.

[The Outsider]

Anytime you can add an old, unathletic, undersized guard, you have to do it and you definitely have to trade up to do it.

I detect slight irony in this post.

That would be sarcasm, my young padawn.

[Tnbandwagoner]

I detect slight irony in this post.

That would be sarcasm, my young padawn.

Irony is sarcasm in a tux.

[mdb1958]

Can this guy speak German?

[MJW]

That suggests they'll make some kind of fullback gadget out of him.

I've always hated that Arians never employed a guy like this. Sometimes, it's fun to watch your back (especially a physical back like Lenny) run behind a goddamn juggernaut. I still love watch old clips of the "Rhino Backfield" with Alstott running behind Lo Neal in 1998.

[mdb1958]

I'm thinking pass blocking myself.

[MJW]

I'm thinking pass blocking myself.

You ain't wrong.

We've been using a lot of 6th lineman looks in recent years - more than I've ever seen here. Now we have a guy who blocks like a guard but, compared to a guard, can actually leak out and catch a pass reasonably well.

No, I don't understand the tradeup. I don't. But it says to me that OBP has some real plans for this kid. And that's exciting for me.

[mdb1958]

Gage, Lenny, Vaughn, Bernard, the new guy, they all could be involved.

[King Bootz]

For Kieft to even make it to game day, 1 of 3 things have to be the case. 1: Gronk isn't re-signed. 2: Gronk is re-signed & Brate or Otton are released. 3: Gronk, Brate, or Otton are injured.

[_MB_]

For Kieft to even make it to game day, 1 of 3 things have to be the case. 1: Gronk isn't re-signed. 2: Gronk is re-signed & Brate or Otton are released. 3: Gronk, Brate, or Otton are injured.

Worst case they stash him on the practice squad until they can figure out the thing they drafted him for.

Sounds to me like they want to use him for a wrinkle in the offense. That's why I said it sounds like some fullback lead blocker kind of shit.

[King Bootz]

For Kieft to even make it to game day, 1 of 3 things have to be the case. 1: Gronk isn't re-signed. 2: Gronk is re-signed & Brate or Otton are released. 3: Gronk, Brate, or Otton are injured.

Worst case they stash him on the practice squad until they can figure out the thing they drafted him for.

Sounds to me like they want to use him for a wrinkle in the offense. That's why I said it sounds like some fullback lead blocker kind of shit.

Maybe. More realistically if he makes the roster and is active on game day seems like a guy who's going to be a ST contributor.

[Cheb]

Here's a little something I watched on the treadmill this morning:



Look for our boy in black, #42. Consistently good run blocking against top competition; most explosive runs were right behind him.

I am liking this late round pick more and more. All aboard the Kieftwagon.

[_MB_]

Worst case they stash him on the practice squad until they can figure out the thing they drafted him for.

Sounds to me like they want to use him for a wrinkle in the offense. That's why I said it sounds like some fullback lead blocker kind of shit.

Maybe. More realistically if he makes the roster and is active on game day seems like a guy who's going to be a ST contributor.

He seems like a "I will run through a brick wall" kind of guy. His destiny is out of his hands at the moment.

[Grahamburn]

H-Back. Fullback. TE. Jumbo. Goal line. Max protect.

Honestly feel like the front office went into this thing with a pretty specific plan.

This kid has nothing to do with Gronk signing or not signing.

[MJW]

For Kieft to even make it to game day, 1 of 3 things have to be the case. 1: Gronk isn't re-signed. 2: Gronk is re-signed & Brate or Otton are released. 3: Gronk, Brate, or Otton are injured.

Let me get this straight:

We drafted a guy with a unique skill-set, one that we didn't have on the roster.

Our reason for doing so is because we don't want to play him and utilize that unique skill set.

He's just here in case one of those other guys, the ones who have totally different skill-sets than his, get hurt. At which point, we're going to use him to replace them in the offense. Even though he doesn't do any of the things they do well.

Are you high?

[King Bootz]

For Kieft to even make it to game day, 1 of 3 things have to be the case. 1: Gronk isn't re-signed. 2: Gronk is re-signed & Brate or Otton are released. 3: Gronk, Brate, or Otton are injured.

Let me get this straight:

We drafted a guy with a unique skill-set, one that we didn't have on the roster.

Our reason for doing so is because we don't want to play him and utilize that unique skill set.

He's just here in case one of those other guys, the ones who have totally different skill-sets than his, get hurt. At which point, we're going to use him to replace them in the offense. Even though he doesn't do any of the things they do well.

Are you high?

We'll circle back to this thread and particularly this post once the season actually gets here in September.

It's very easy and costs nothing as far as credibility is concerned to say a 6th round rookie with limited potential is going to be a key part of the offense. Everyone is drafted for a reason.

It makes me wonder why we don't see more rookies contributing. Oh and his "unique skills set", I'd hope we had more than 1 guy on this roster that can block.

And even still, your post here makes the one you quoted no less true. Maybe you can tell me where the swap will come. Will there be 4 TEs active on game day? 1 less WR, RB, or OL?

But again, we'll circle back to this one in September.

[MJW]

Let me get this straight:

We drafted a guy with a unique skill-set, one that we didn't have on the roster.

Our reason for doing so is because we don't want to play him and utilize that unique skill set.

He's just here in case one of those other guys, the ones who have totally different skill-sets than his, get hurt. At which point, we're going to use him to replace them in the offense. Even though he doesn't do any of the things they do well.

Are you high?

We'll circle back to this thread and particularly this post once the season actually gets here in September.

It's very easy and costs nothing as far as credibility is concerned to say a 6th round rookie with limited potential is going to be a key part of the offense. Everyone is drafted for a reason.

It makes me wonder why we don't see more rookies contributing. Oh and his "unique skills set", I'd hope we had more than 1 guy on this roster that can block.

But again, we'll circle back to this one in September.

I'm not going to the mat for this kid. I've never seen him play.

I do know that his scouting report says he's a boffo blocker, and that he caught 12 passes in 4 years, and we traded up to get him.

The only logical conclusion from all that is, "We wanted to add a tight end/fullback specifically as a blocker." He's not here to slot in for Gronk or Brate or Otton or McElroy, all of whom (exempting Gronk, who does everything well) are pass catchers first. He's here to be a blocker.

If he shows himself to be as good a blocker as advertised, he will absolutely be active on gamedays. If not, he'll probably be cut. But one thing I'm sure of is, he's not here "in case" someone else gets hurt. We're not talking about, like, Tanner Hudson, who was a poor man's Brate. He's a nobody's poor man on this roster, because he's the only guy who (potentially) excels at doing the thing he was drafted to do. S'all.

[Snake]

Why not put another OL on the field if the guy is a total non-threat in the passing game?

He's also taking those every-other-game reps that Vea would take at FB/TE, right? is that worth committing another roster spot to?

[MJW]

Why not just put another OL on the field?

A few reasons -

- You don't have to "report him," which means it might be a little easier to sneak him out on block and release plays without the defense already looking for it.
- Even if he's a garbage truck of a tight end, he's still faster/quicker/more agile than most linemen, and with better hands.
- Special teams.

[Snake]

Why not just put another OL on the field?

A few reasons -

- You don't have to "report him," which means it might be a little easier to sneak him out on block and release plays without the defense already looking for it.
- Even if he's a garbage truck of a tight end, he's still faster/quicker/more agile than most linemen, and with better hands.
- Special teams.

Makes sense.

He still feels like a solution in search of a problem. But I suppose we are at the end stages of building a contender. Shore up the margins where you can.

Leftwich/TB12 could also have some tricks up their sleeve with Arians out of the building. Look forward to it.

[King Bootz]

A few reasons -

- You don't have to "report him," which means it might be a little easier to sneak him out on block and release plays without the defense already looking for it.
- Even if he's a garbage truck of a tight end, he's still faster/quicker/more agile than most linemen, and with better hands.
- Special teams.

Makes sense.

He still feels like a solution in search of a problem. But I suppose we are at the end stages of building a contender. Shore up the margins where you can.

Leftwich/TB12 could also have some tricks up their sleeve with Arians out of the building. Look forward to it.

That's an excellent way to describe it. He really is a solution in search of a problem. This has never been an offense that depends upon the success of TE blocking or a FB making plays. Even if Kieft helped usher in a new wrinkle, it would still be a small wrinkle and the offense as a unit wouldn't deviate much from it's identity.

It's for that reason I wouldn't count on having a guy who's at best good for 2-3 plays a game a guaranteed active player on game days. Especially as a 4th TE.